Romans 12:1

"Therefore" draws a conclusion from all that Paul had presented so far, not just chapters 9-11. This is clear from what he proceeded to say. The charge rises out of humankind’s universal condemnation by God (Romans 3:20), the justification that God has provided freely (Romans 5:1), and the assurance of acceptance that the believing sinner can have (Romans 8:1). Because of all this, it is only reasonable to present our lives to God as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). In particular, the exhortation to present ourselves to God in Romans 6:13; Romans 6:19 is in view.

Exhortation now replaces instruction. Urging (Gr. parakaleo) lies between commanding and beseeching. It ["I urge you"] is "one of the tenderest expressions in all the Bible." [Note: J. P. McBeth, Exegetical and Practical Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, p. 229.] Paul used parakaleo about 50 times in his epistles. Probably he did not command his readers because the attitude with which one presents himself or herself to God is crucial. The apostle did not want his readers to comply because he had commanded them to do so, but because they wanted to because of what God had done for them. Therefore he made his appeal as strong as possible without commanding. He had previously commanded this conduct (Romans 6:13; Romans 6:19).

". . . I BESEECH YOU - What an astonishing word to come from God! From a God against whom we had sinned, and under whose judgment we were! What a word to us, believers,-a race of sinners so lately at enmity with God,-’I beseech you!’" [Note: Newell, p. 447. Cf. Philemon 1:9-10; 2 Corinthians 5:20.]

The phrase "the mercies of God," (NASB) refers to all that Paul revealed in this epistle that God has done for the believer. Paul used the singular "mercy" in the Greek text evidently because of his recent exposition of God’s mercy in Romans 11:30-32. Mercy denotes the quality in God that led Him to deliver us from our sin and misery. It contrasts with grace. Mercy expresses deliverance from condemnation that we deserve, and grace describes the bestowal of blessings that we do not deserve. Paul called us to sacrifice ourselves to God because He has been merciful to us. In pagan religions of Paul’s day the worshippers typically first offered sacrifices to secure the mercy of the gods. That is unnecessary in Christianity because God has taken the initiative.

Hebrew thought viewed the body as the representation of the whole person. Paul was urging the presentation of the whole person, not just the outer shell (cf. Romans 6:13). [Note: Cranfield, 2:598-99; Griffith Thomas, St. Paul’s Epistle . . ., p. 324.] However, the body does stand in antithesis to the mind in Romans 12:2 so the physical body does seem to be what Paul was stressing particularly. [Note: Liddon, p. 228; D. Edmond Hiebert, "Presentation and Transformation: An Exposition of Romans 12:1-2," Bibliotheca Sacra 151:603 (July-September 1994):314.] Jewish priests needed to present themselves without blemish as sacrifices to God before they could serve Him (cf. Malachi 1:8-13). The same is true in Christianity. The believer priest’s whole life needs to be given over to the Lord (cf. Leviticus 1). We need to separate from sin to God. This is the essence of holiness (cf. Romans 6:19). This kind of sacrifice is acceptable to God and pleases Him.

Some scholars claim that the tense of the verb "present" or "offer" (aorist in Greek) presupposes a decisive offering made once-for-all. [Note: E.g., Harrison, p. 127.] Others say that the aorist tense does not carry the once-for-all meaning and that Paul simply meant that we should make this offering, without implying how often. [Note: E.g., Moo, p. 750.] In view of the nature of the commitment that Paul called for it seems that we should make it decisively as often as we desire. What the Christian needs to present is his or her life for service to God. In Israel the whole burnt offering, which represented the entire person of the offerer (Leviticus 1), burned up completely on the altar. The offerer could not reclaim it because it belonged to God. Paul implied that this should also characterize the Christian’s self-sacrifice.

"The sacrifices of the new order do not consist in taking the lives of others, like the ancient animal sacrifices, but in giving one’s own (cf. Hebrews 13:15-16; 1 Peter 2:5)." [Note: Bruce, p. 213.]

"Spiritual service of worship" (NASB) or "reasonable service" (AV) means that the sacrifice should be thoughtful and deliberate. The animals in Jewish sacrifices could not offer themselves this way because they were animals. There are many ways in which we can worship God, but this is the most fundamental and important way. This service of worship should precede all other service of worship or else worship and service are superficial. Two notable examples of this decisive dedication of self are Isaac (Genesis 22) and our Lord Jesus Christ (John 6:38). Both individuals allowed themselves to be bound and offered up as sacrifices.